Electrical agricultural system.



C. S. DONBY.

'ELECTRICAL AGRICULTURAL SYSTEM.

ArrLloA'rIoN FILED Ara. 5. 1910.

Patented Jan. 17, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

APPLICATION FILED APB.. 5, 1910.

Patented Jan.17,1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Horne/1J 4To 'it may concern:-

Y s'*J2-AIDES l'i1ArEN-r OFFICE.t

CHARLES s. Do'NEY, or' COLUMBIA FALLS, p

CHARLES E?. Eoor, or KALISPELL, MONTANA, AND ONE-Turenne GEORGE D. WATT,

or COLUMBIA FALLS, MONTANA.

ELECTRICAL AGRICULTURALSYSTEMQ- Be it known that' I, CHARLES S. DoNEY, a

citiz'enbf the United States, residing at 'Columbia Falls, in the county of Flathead andi'State of Montana, have invented certainnew andvuseful Improvements in Electrical Agricultural Systems,- of which the .following is a. specification.

My invention relates to certain. new and useful improvements in electrical agricultural systems and the object of my invention is lto supply'electrical current to a movable electric motor Whichis adapted `to attain any part of' a certain area.

vMy invention moreparticularly relates to a motor adapted-to propel agricultural implements-over a predetermined area and to cause the agricultural implement 'to reach all parts of said area.

With'these and other objects in view'my invention consists in supporting an electrical conductor on each si'devof' the' field or a'rea to be cot'bred by Vthe electricv motor and in connecting these conductors by a pair of '25;transverse wires or-conducto'rs, one ot' which isfkeltrial Contact with one of the conductors d tl1eotlier.y\ith the other con-4 xduct0r,' an ffurther, ini-providing the ve- ;'f hicle to be propelled withan electric motor en arida trolley polel carry/ing't'rolley wheels p adapted' to contact with the transverse con*- i constructions,

ductors; I

-My invention further consists in certain combinations and arrangement of parts, the preferred form ot which will 'fe first described in connection with the I; accompanying drawings, and then the in 4ven'tion particularly pointed out in the appended, claims.

Referring to the drawings, wherein thesame part` 1s designated .by the same 'refer- .yence numeral Whenever it occurs: Figure 1 '.'f is a` perspective view representing a ield 4:5. elevationof .anelectrically ypropelled ve y equipped with my invention; Fig.2 is'a 'planview of thesame; and Fig. 3 isa side "-;,hi'c1e,-'and a portion-ot 'one of the transverse 4, L re a pair ofelectric conductors which yare sl1ow11:-a's-, suipQrled.` upon poles 5 at each side of? aaineld'fl., 'IheS'eeIectrie con-- Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Jan, 17, 1911,. vApplication filed April 5, .1910. Serial No. 553,601.

ductors may beof'uany desired construction either in the'form of -a wire or bar and supported in any desired Way'. One of these conductors Ais connected to the positive and one'to the negative side.of a suitable source of electrical energy, as the dynamo 6. The

conductors 4 extend parallel to each other on opposite sides of the tieldto :be covered and extend the full length thereof.

Extending between the parallel conductors L1 are a pair of transverse conductors 7'which extend-parallel to each otherv across the field,

andA are connected 'at theirendsto trolley. 'Wheelc 8 which run upon the'cnductors 4.- One of the transverse conductors-7 is con- 'nected'withthe positive conducto'li and the other withv the negative conductor 4.* `The forni-of connections'hoxv". consists of a pair 'of elbow 'arms 9, each of Which-carriest these arms the conductors'? are connected,

as best shown 1n Fig. 2, the positive co`nductor being electrically connected' to the arm whose trolley runs upon the positive conductor 4 and 'thel negative conductor 7 being electrically connected to the arm 9 run-v ning upon the negative conductor 4. The.

positive conductor 7 is connected to the arm 9 of the negative sideand the negative con-` ductor 7 is connected to the arm 9 of the positive side through insulatorsY 10 of any desired construction.

l1 are aser-ies of spacers which extend between the conductors 7 and are connected 'to the conductors by suitable insulators l2.

' hese spacers hold the conductors 7 in parallely spaced relation for 'the' full WidthA of thetield.

To prevent thesagging of the conductors .7,21 provide suitable supports at intervals, these supports being vpreferably 'extended down fromtc'ertai'n of-tlie'spacers 1,1. In the form of myinvention shown, each of these supports'` consists of 'a body portion.

13 on the ends'of4 which are "mounted the lrollers 1:4. 'p

'7C its apex a trolley'wheel 8i y'To the ends of :.15 is a tube extended up 'from ythe supportal?, andl is a rod connected at its upperfend to the spacer 11 andl having its lower end extending into the tube 15. I also pro-v vldefmeans 'tending' to force the rod 1'6 out of the tube 15, such means being illustrated as comprising a compression spring 17, connected at one Vend to the rod and at the other end to the tube. These supports will consequently operate to hold the transverse conductors in their elevated position and at the same time the spring 17 will permit the wheels of the 'supports to pass over inequalities in the ground.

18 designates a traction engine or other vehicle operated by an electric motor, the motor being of any desired type, and its construction forms no part of the present invention. This engine carries a trolley pole having wheels adapted to run upon the transverse conductors and supply current to thc motor. In the form ot. my invention shown, the trolley comprises a tubular support 19 extending up from the engine, and in this tube isslidably mounted a pole 20. The pole 20 and the tube 19 are connected 'together by a tension spring 21, whereby the spring tends to draw the pole into the tube. At the upper end, the pole is provided with an arm 22 which extends ont at rightangles from the pole, and 23 is a trolley wheel carried by the arm 22. Connected t0 the arm 22 by means of a pivot. 24 is an arm 25, carrying at its end, a second trolley wheel 26, the trolley wheel "23 being adapted to run on one of the transverse conductors and trolley wheel 26 on the other. he pivot 24 `is'to permit the trolley' wheel 26 to. always remain in Contact with its transverse conductor 7. I also provide a third trolley wheel 27, which is carried by an arm 28, said arm being formed ot' two parts connected together by means of the hinge 25). the arm 28 extending at right angles to the arm 22, whereby the trolley wheel 27 will run on the same conductor as the trolley 223; By using three trolley wheels engaging the two conductors, the wheels are. caused to run at a fixed angle to the transverse conductor 7 and the trolley thus prevented from umping or slipping otl said conductors.

In the operation of my systeni, the conductors 4 being in place and the transverse conductors 7 mounted on the conductors 4, by their trolley wheels 8, the transverse conductors 7 bein(Jr supports described, the' electrical tract-ion engine or other vehicle to be used has its trolley placed on the transverse conductors in the manner illustrated in the figures, then the machine started. When one side of the field is reached the engine is steered to t-nrn` supported at suitable ini' tervals across the field by the lintermediate along the conductors 4, until the other end of the eld is reached.

I realize that considerable variation is:

'possible in the details of construction and' arrangement of parts, without departing from the spirit of my invention, and I therefore do not intend to limit myself to the specific form shown and vdescribed herein.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an electrical agricultural system, the combination with a pair of main condnctors, one located on each sideiof the area to 'be covered and parallel with each other, of a'pair of transverse conductors arranged parallel to each other and provided with trolley wheels at their ends, one trolley wheel running on each of the main conductors, an electrically propelled vehicle, and trolley wheels carried by the Vehicle and engaging the transverse condfuctors.

2. In an electrical agricultural system, the combination with a pair of main conductors, one located on each side of the area to be covered and parallel with each other, of a pair of trolley wheels adapted to run on the mainconductors, elbow-shaped arms in the apex of which the trolley wheels are mounted, a pair of transverse conductors connected to the ends of the arms, an electrically propelled vehicle, and

trolley wheels carried by the vehicle and engaging the transverse conductors.

3. In an electrical agricultural system, the combination with a pair of main conductors', one located on each side ofthe area to be covered and parallel with each other, of a pair ot transverse conductors arranged parallel to each other and pro vided with trolley wheels at their ends, one trolley wheel running on each of the main conductors, a series of intermediate supports connected at their -,upper ends t0 the transverse conductors and provided with wheels on their lower ends, an electrically propelled vehicle and trolley wheels carried by the vehicle and engaging the transverse conductors.

4. In an electrical agricultural system, the combination with a'pair of main conductors, one located on each side of the area to be covered and parallel with each other,

of a pair of transverse conductors arranged parallel to -each other and provided with trolley wheels at their ends, one trolley wheel running on each -of the main cone, -ductors, a series of intermediate yielding supports connected at their upper ends to the transverse conductors and provided with wheels on their lower ends, an electrically propelled vehicleand trolley wheels carried by the vehicle and engaging the transverse conductors.

5. In an electrical agricultural system, the combination with a pair of main con-l ductors, one located on each side of the area of trolley Wheels earrie'd by the armnd ento be covered *and* parallel Wit-h each other, gaging the transverse conductors. l0 of a pair of transverse conductors nrrmiged In testimony whereoi:l I aHX my Signaparallelto each other and provided with ture in presence of tWoWit-nesses.

trolley Wheels at their ends, 011e trolley CHARLES S. DONEY. Wheel running on each ofthe main eonduc' Witnesses:-

tors, laneleetrieally propelled vehicle, a trol- C. H. Foo'r,

ley arm mounted' on the Vehicle, a plurality F. L. BRowNE. 

